readytorunbook Chapter 7 Odd changes, even remains the same; sign depends on quadrant.
Chapter 7 Odd changes, even remains the same; sign depends on quadrant.
Holidays are not always pleasant, but they are always short. In Shen Qing's opinion, the palace is a place of trouble and intrigue. According to the usual pattern, getting close to it will trigger palace intrigue plots 99.9% of the time.
The image of a princess accompanying a student inevitably evokes the image of a prince studying with his parents. However, the Second Young Master Shen has never been mistreated. If the princess were a spoiled and willful person, wouldn't he be executed along with his entire family if he lost his temper and beat her up?
Because she lacked the original owner's memories, and the brief flashback didn't record these details, Shen Qing's understanding of this era was not deep enough, and she was unsure of how to act appropriately, leaving her feeling very uncertain.
However, Shen Qing had been staying at home for three days, and if she didn't go out soon, people would become suspicious. So, despite her reluctance to go to the palace school, a place where trouble was brewing, she still made Fang Yu carry her schoolbag to school.
Never mind, let's just keep going. There's always a way out. If things don't work out, we'll just start over.
Sigh... I just didn't have the right timing. If it had come forty years earlier, back in the Great Qian Dynasty, a legitimate daughter of a first-rank noble family wouldn't have needed to accompany a princess in her studies.
At the side gate of the Shen residence, Hei Zi had already harnessed the carriage and was sitting in the front shaft waiting. The carriage door was open at the back, and the stable boy immediately lay down on all fours when he saw the person coming.
Shen Qing silently apologized and, with Wen Ying's help, climbed onto the back of the stable boy to get into the carriage. He thought to himself that next time he would have to use the excuse that the stable boy's back was too uneven to get a stool instead.
It was only when he went to the kitchen last time that he discovered that there were stools in this world, and that servants sat on low stools while washing vegetables and doing laundry.
Indeed, elegance is for the nobility; the lower classes don't need elegance, they just do whatever is convenient.
"Giddy up!"
The carriage swayed and moved forward. Through the gauze window, I could see the streets and people coming and going. The capital city under the emperor's nose was not as prosperous as I had imagined. It was not like the capital city of my previous life, especially during the peak tourist season when it was so crowded that there was not even a place to put your feet.
Having seen many things in the world, Shen Qing found it all quite novel. After all, it was the capital city, which had been built for thirty years. The main city street, wide enough for four carriages to travel side by side, had pavilions with upturned eaves on both sides. The signs of teahouses and taverns fluttered in the wind, and various shops welcomed and saw off customers. You could also see acrobatics and vendors hawking their wares on the roadside.
Just as Shen Qing was immersed in exploring the daily life of ancient citizens, he heard a "whoosh" and the carriage stopped.
It turned out that when they reached the intersection and were about to turn left, they encountered a horse-drawn carriage coming from the other direction; in short, there was a traffic jam.
Here it comes, here it comes, this triggers the plot!
Shen Qing was slightly excited. In this situation, the other party was usually an arrogant and domineering young master from a powerful family, and then the two sides would start a war of words, neither willing to give in.
So Shen Qing decided to strike first and said, "It's alright, let's step back and let them pass first."
As the saying goes, taking a step back opens up a vast expanse of sky and sea.
Fangyu withdrew her head from the window and said dismissively, "The carriage of a mere prince's mansion does not need a young lady to give way."
A prince... and you call him 'mere'?
Shen Qing's lips twitched slightly. Was the Minister of State too powerful, or was the Prince of this country too lacking in prestige?
Sure enough, the other side gave way, and the carriage resumed its journey.
What happened to the girl's face?
"It's nothing," Shen Qing rubbed her cheek, which hurt a little. "Who were those people in the carriage just now?"
"The emblem of the Prince of Xiangnan's mansion, facing this direction now, should belong to the Princess of Le'an County."
Wen Ying added, "The Prince of Xiangnan is just a member of the royal family without a real title. Even if it is a princess, the young lady does not need to give way to him."
Is his family really that powerful? Shen Qing straightened his back instantly. It seems that accompanying the princess to study is just to give the royal family face. In reality, if anything really happens, he can just walk away.
The county princess is probably heading to the palace school in this direction, right? By the way, does the prince live in the capital instead of his fiefdom?
Oh, so that's what it means to not be properly sealed.
If you think about it carefully, you'll understand. Originally, the territory of a dynasty was divided into sixteen countries. The emperor already felt that his territory was too small, so why would he divide it further?
Shen Qing nodded, then suddenly realized, what was that county princess's name again? Le'an!!!
Is she the unfortunate girl who was tricked by the original owner into going to the Northern Desert for a political marriage? Is she still a county princess? It's true that the daughter of a prince is a county princess, which means that the Prince of Xiangnan will be made a prince within three years at most. What achievements has he made?
Shen Qing couldn't help but complain that the original owner's love brain didn't remember important information, making it impossible for him to seize opportunities by taking advantage of information gaps.
It feels like you've been reborn to the day before, but you don't remember the winning lottery numbers.
Shen Qing really misunderstood her. If Shen Qingxi herself were reborn, she would definitely know, but as a woman, she could not personally enter the court. Whether it was helping Jiang Se fight for power or joining hands with Song Yuan to reform, she participated indirectly. She relied on reports from others to learn about many things, and by the time she found out about many things, the matter had already been settled.
Hearing about something is never as memorable as experiencing it firsthand. Just like listening to international news is less memorable than biting into an apple and finding half a worm.
Sighing inwardly, Shen Qing tried to comfort herself by thinking positively, reminding herself that at least at this point in time, the original owner hadn't yet harmed Le An.
Otherwise, if he were to transmigrate to Le'an and be sent to a marriage alliance, would he accept the blame or not? If he did, he really hadn't done it; if he didn't, he would bear the consequences.
Fortunately, nothing has happened yet. Thinking about it this way, Shen Qing felt much better.
"Selling steamed buns! Freshly baked steamed buns!"
"New product tasting, free for the first ten people, first come first served!"
Just as Shen Qing was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the cries of vendors from the side of the street.
Oh, steamed buns...steamed buns!!!
"parking!"
Shen Qing stopped the carriage, and Fang Yu asked in confusion, "What's wrong, young lady?"
"Go buy some steamed buns." Shen Qing clenched her fists tightly under her sleeves, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
In this era, the technology of flour fermentation had not yet been mastered, so steamed buns could not be made. The emperor ate hard, unleavened flatbreads. And with those familiar sales pitches, there's a high chance you'll run into someone from your hometown!
Fang Yu didn't even get out of the car. She just rolled down the window and called out. A little girl who looked about twelve or thirteen years old ran up to the carriage carrying a plate of steaming hot steamed buns.
Fangyu reached out and took it, picked one up and squeezed it. She seemed quite curious about the soft, white dough. She tore off a piece, put it in her mouth and chewed it. Suddenly, her eyes lit up: "Is this made with wheat flour?"
The little girl nodded and said in a clear voice, "Yes, it's the newest one we made. Your Excellency was the ninth to taste it, so it's free."
Fangyu laughed and said, "Would my lady take advantage of you like this? Are you selling your recipe?"
The young girl looked conflicted and said, "Grandpa said it's meant to be passed down through generations. If the nobleman thinks it's good, we can make it and send it to his residence."
Shen Qing couldn't figure it out for a moment. Was it an inevitable development in the history of food, or was there really a time traveler in the child's family? So he pretended to take a bite and asked, "This way of cooking is novel. Who came up with it?"
"It was something Sanya just messed around with," a simple, honest male voice said.
"Big brother, what brings you here?"
The boy looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old, an age when most families would consider him old enough to be the head of the household.
Compared to the carefree Sanya, this older brother was much more reserved, with an air of humility and ingratiation. Shen Qing's gaze swept over the two siblings. Indeed, Sanya's demeanor was completely out of place with the surrounding crowd who automatically gave way.
Shen Qing subtly probed, "These steamed buns might taste even better if you added minced meat to them."
Sanya's eyes lit up as she looked at Shen Qing excitedly and said, "Odd changes, even doesn't!"
Shen Qing bit her tongue to stop herself from blurting out "sign indicates quadrant," and made a confused expression.
Aside from lacking a strong will to survive when she first transmigrated, Shen Qing was usually quite composed. To come out in public and act all lovey-dovey would be too attention-grabbing; she might even get burned alive.
Shen Qing can die, but not a stupid death.